Friday, July 31 and Saturday, August 1 Bill and Melinda Gates Center (CSE2) | Directions and Parking Building Accessibility FAQs | Contact Register for this free event Everyone is welcome; Not just for developers We especially encourage people with lived experience of disability to join us. Does this describe you? Then your perspective is essential to building an accessible future. If you have advanced experience with generative AI and building software, fabrication, or other tools—or if you’re brand new to…
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People and News
Alum Nicole Zaino combines research in biomechanics, assistive technology with world-class Para Nordic skiing
June 17, 2025 While Nicole Zaino was Ph.D. student in mechanical engineering, her study of biomechanics and assistive technology focused on customized mobility devices and how individuals use and are impacted by mobility aids. Advised by Katherine M. Steele and Heather Feldner, she also served as HuskyADAPT‘s Community Outreach Chair and worked in the IMPACT Collaboratory. Despite the rigors of her work, she knew she needed a physical outlet for stress. Zaino had always been active growing up but had…
Steele elected fellow of the American Society of Biomechanics
June 15, 2026 In the honor from her primary professional society, Steele was cited for her work integrating engineering and medicine at multiple hospitals across the country, her award-winning research, and her work with CREATE to bridge engineering, rehabilitation, and disability studies. At the UW and in addition to her role in CREATE, Steele wears many titles: Associate Chair of Research in Mechanical Engineering, Director of the Neuromechanics & Mobility Lab, Co-Director of the AMP Lab, HuskyADAPT Faculty Advisor, the…
Social Stories for Families to Help Children with Autism: Lessons from Panama
April 6, 2026 Zolyomi’s research, in turn, has led to development of a therapeutic app built off the importance of storytelling in Panamanian culture. Not yet released, the Mystoria app uses the “social stories” model developed by Carol Gray. Zolyomi says her team also uses generative AI (GenAI) to “explore how we can create personalized stories, since those resonate most with autistic children.” Zolyomi appeared on a local Seattle news program, King5’s New Day, to share news of the soon-to-be-released…
Community-based research gets new funding for work in computing, information
May 18, 2026 With an emphasis on funding research efforts with historically underfunded community partners, CECI supports work that centers the lived experiences of people, whether represented by formalized nonprofits, informal grassroots community organizations, or government-based institutions. Co-led by the (Allen School), HCDE, and the iSchool, the initiative was launched in 2025 through a gift from Google. CREATE research supported by CECI Accessible AI and health management support for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities Lead: CREATE postdoctoral researcher Jazette Johnson. Faculty…
New Voices in CREATE – the 2026 edition
April 21, 2026 In April, the CREATE Accessibility Seminar welcomed three new(-ish) CREATE faculty members to share their research interests in accessibility, disability studies, and disability-related fields. The faculty members Dr. Cecilia Aragon is the director of the Human-Centered Data Science Lab and a professor emeritus in Human Centered Design and Engineering (HCDE). She has worked in data science, software development, aviation, sociotechnical systems, and accessible computing-related work. She was a co-PI of AccessAdvance until its federal funding was lost…
CHI 2026: Papers and Presentations on Accessibility
March 23, 2026 Accessibility-related papers, presentations, and workshops from CREATE researchers at CHI 2026, the ACM CHI conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. We appreciate your patience as we continue to update this page. Congratulations to CREATE associate director Jon E. Froehlich, who will be honored with a Societal Impact Award at the 2026 SIGCHI Conference in Barcelona! Papers Ability heuristics for conducting accessibility inspections Claire Mitchell, Judy Kong (Ph.D. student), Jesse Martinez (Ph.D. student), Sean Kane (Ph.D. graduate and CREATE advisory council…
A Study in Cross-Cultural Relationship Building and Community-Based Research
March 10, 2026 CREATE faculty member Annuska Zolyomi co-led a collaborative exploration of how technology could help autistic individuals and their families. Celebrating Neurodiversity: Ichi-go Ichi-e Symposium, held in Tokyo in 2023, brought together thought leaders in HCI research and autism communities from Japan, North America, and Europe to explore neurodiversity in the Japanese context. Zolyomi, an assistant professor in Computing & Software Systems at UW Bothell, is the lead writer on a paper about the symposium and outcomes from…
OpenThePaths: Connecting people & places through ethical AI
March 9, 2026 If you drive, you’ve probably used route-finding apps with reasonable success. But these tools do not take into consideration people with mobility challenges who need information about sidewalks, not roads. Washington State’s first map of pedestrian infrastructure, OS-CONNECT, was a main topic at the recent OpenThePaths Conference. Organized by CREATE associate director Anat Caspi, the conference was attended by policymakers, city planners, disability advocates, and technology professionals. Caspi is an affiliate assistant professor in electrical and computer…
Ed Summers joins CREATE’s advisory board
March 2, 2026 The Head of Accessibility at GitHub, Ed Summers also serves on disability-related government and not-for-profit boards. As a blind software engineer and leader of accessibility programs within large technology companies, Summers’ personal mission is to enable people with disabilities to realize their full potential in the classroom and the 21st century knowledge economy. “Accessibility is a team sport. It requires contributions from industry, academia, government, and advocacy organizations, just to name a few. Each sector has a…
Kane, Jayant, Wobbrock, Ladner: 2025 SIGACCESS ASSETS Paper Impact Award
March 6, 2026 A paper on mobile device accessibility and co-authored by CREATE leaders was honored with the 10-Year Lasting Impact Award at the International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS ’25). The 2009 ACM ASSETS paper, Freedom to roam: A study of mobile device adoption and accessibility for people with visual and motor disabilities, found that people with disabilities had to find ways to adapt to inaccessible technology. The team developed guidelines for more accessible and empowering…
Richard Ladner: SIGCSE Outstanding Contribution to CS Education Award
March 5, 2026 The award cited Ladner’s contributions to accessible computer science education at the K-12, college, and graduate levels and was given “in recognition of long-lasting efforts to develop new technologies and activities to engage people, particularly children, in creative learning experiences based on computational literacy for discovery and expression.” Richard Ladner, CREATE founding Director for Education Emeritus and Professor Emeritus, Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering Ladner’s work has had a profound impact on the accessibility of…
CREATE Researchers Honored, 2025-26
March 3, 2026 In the 2025-26 academic year, CREATE researchers have received prestigious awards for their work in accessibility. Congratulations to these leaders in accessibility innovation! Jon E. Froehlich: SIGCHI Societal Impact Award CREATE associate director Jon E. Froehlich will be honored with a Societal Impact Award at the 2026 SIGCHI Conference in Barcelona this spring. As fellow CREATE associate director Jacob O. Wobbrock noted, “His research in urban accessibility has achieved what few HCI researchers ever accomplish: direct, measurable…
Jon E. Froehlich Honored with SIGCHI Societal Impact Award
March 3, 2026 Froehlich, a professor of computer science and engineering in the Allen School, directs the UW Makeability Lab, utilizing human-computer interaction (HCI) and machine learning to tackle high-impact socially relevant problems. His work has led to improved city planning and sidewalk infrastructure across the globe, and he has developed technologies that have enabled blind and low-vision users to prepare meals, participate in sports and even engage with children’s artwork. His work on accessible maps (CHI 2019 Best Paper…
Adaptive Solutions Mini-Hackathon: 2026 Recap
February 26, 2026 In January, CREATE and HuskyADAPT teamed up with the King County Library System (KCLS) to host a mini-hackathon to brainstorm and prototype solutions to accessibility problems. After an introduction to five real-world requests submitted by the disability community, participants self-selected their projects and got to work building their prototypes. These diverse teams of makers, researchers, disability professionals, and volunteers were assisted by community co-designers and design leads. They worked in KCLS’s Bellevue Makerspace using moldable thermoplastic, cardboard,…
Hackfest project for children with cerebral palsy goes on to win design awards
January 29, 2026 In 2024, students Lige Yang and Richard Li teamed up at the CREATE AI+Accessibility Hackfest to explore the concept of an AI tool that could monitor a person’s seated position, identify when they are in a posture that could cause injury or worsen an existing condition, and alert a caretaker with accurate, recommended corrections. Yang has continued developing the design. From hackfest idea submitted by a parent… The project idea was submitted by Max Smoot, the parent…
Katharina Reinecke explores how “digital culture shock” manifests in the world
November 17, 2025 The overwhelm people can feel when suddenly immersed in a new culture — a flurry of unfamiliar values, aesthetics, and language — is known as culture shock. In her new book, “Digital Culture Shock: Who Creates Technology and Why This Matters,” Reinecke argues that technology can similarly disorient, discomfit, and alienate people. Reinecke uses the phrase to describe “the experience and influence of actively or passively using technology that is not in line with one’s cultural practices or norms.” The book explores…
Hala Annabi to lead new UW Institute for Neurodiversity and Employment
October 21, 2025 The institute will bring together an interdisciplinary team of leading scholars, practitioners, and employers. Together they will work to build the capacity of the UW, Washington state, and the nation to create neuroinclusive employment opportunities and advance the career possibilities for neurodivergent people. Annabi is a leading scholar on neurodiversity and employment and is an associate professor in the Information School. Her work in this space includes the publication of a series of Neurodiversity @ Work Playbooks…
2025 Race, Disability and Technology Funded Research
September 22, 2025 We are happy to report that this year we received more applications for the RDT grants than in previous years. We also received more applications from outside of CREATE, possibly a sign of our increased outreach to and visibility on campus, and certainly an indication of the importance of this grant mechanism to research efforts across the university. Learn more The Race, Disability, and Technology Initiative Call for Proposals – Race, Disability, and Technology Tier I project:…
With new NIH funding, CREATE postdoc Bethany Sloane continues research for children with cerebral palsy, motor delays
September 15, 2025 Exploration and self-initiated mobility are known to support growth in learning, communication, social skills, and play. Yet, due to limited training, funding, or access to different types of devices, powered mobility devices are often underused in early intervention and pediatric therapy settings. Bethany Sloane’s research is focused on addressing these issues, to ensure that children under the age of three have opportunities to explore their environments and participate in daily life through mobility. She aims to create…